Developing future-ready school libraries through design thinking: A case study

Abstract

School libraries around the world need to revitalise their spaces, collections and programming to continue to be relevant for teachers and students living and learning in an information-saturated technological global age. Efforts in the rethinking of library usage and design are most effective when they are contextualised and localised, based on user needs and country or school budgets. Design thinking is a useful approach for schools to understand the needs of their populations and design targeted improvements for their libraries’ specific users. This article explains how one secondary school collaborated with university researchers to use design thinking to re-envision the role and functions of its school library. The evidence collected through the process was integrated into the redesign of an improved library for the students. This article provides a model for evidence-driven school library improvement projects.